PICK OF THE WEEK

filmmakers analyse some of the most secret aspects of the city.

WEDNESDAY

The Great British Sewing Bee (BBC1, 8pm) Host Sara Pascoe has already had a chance to get used to being in the sewing room – she took over from previous presenter Joe Lycett just in time for the 2021 Christmas celebrity specials. Now though, she’s welcoming 12 other newcomers to their new base in a historic woollen mill on the outskirts of Leeds as the latest series gets underway. The stitchers will be put through their paces by judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young, who will be assessing the class of 2022’s form by setting them a pattern challenge to make a wool mini skirt. Then they are celebrating the lifting of Covid restrictions by getting the contestants to turn lockdown loungewear into a going-out top before the hopefuls create a made-to-measure wrap dress. But who will get the first garment of the week, and who will be heading home?

Searching for Michael Jackson’s Zoo with Ross Kemp (STV, 9pm)

He was once known as the King of the Pop, but while he still has an army of loyal subjects, it’s safe to say that Michael Jackson’s reputation has been severely tarnished in the years since his death following allegations of abuse. Now in this documentary, Ross Kemp is looking at a less publicised part of Jackson’s life and legacy – the zoo he kept at his Neverland Ranch. At its peak, it was home to 124 exotic animals, including zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions and his famous pet chimpanzee Bubbles. Following the singer’s death in 2009, the zoo was dismantled, and Kemp is on a mission to find out what happened to its residents. He also raises some difficult questions about whether Jackson’s reputation as an animal lover was reflected in the way the creatures were treated.

Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (BBC1, 9pm)

It’s the final, and only two designers remain to battle it out for the prize – a career-defining contract to design an apartment for an upmarket coastal resort. To be in with a chance of winning, they are heading to London’s Soho district, where they will both be asked to redesign a trendy bar. Each establishment must have a ground-floor bar that appeals to the daytime trade, and an intimate basement cocktail lounge for late nights and entertaining. However, Alan worries that one of the hopefuls has bitten off more than they can chew as they rip out an existing bar, only to unearth a new set of problems.

Great British History Hunters (More4, 9pm)

With privileged access behind the scenes at the British Museum, this new series follows a characterful cast of passionate metal detectorists as their incredible – and often valuable – discoveries make their way through the fascinating world of the Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme. In the first edition, a unique

collection of Roman Bronzes make lifechanging amounts of money at auction, mudlarks scour the Thames foreshore for treasures of London’s past, and a 3,000-yearold gold sun pendant stuns is discovered in Shropshire.

Tan France: Beauty and the Bleach (BBC2, 9pm)

When Tan France was just nine years old, he attempted to lighten his skin with bleaching cream he found in a relative’s cupboard. He’s regretted it ever since. However, in this new documentary, the fashion designer, who has gone on to find fame as one of the experts on the Neflix hit Queer Eye, looks at why his story